A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a hydrogen-containing fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with air. Consequently, the fuel cell is categorized as a new energy source. The hydrogen-containing fuel used in the fuel cell includes any type of hydrocarbon such as natural gas, methanol, ethanol (alcohol), product from water hydrolysis, marsh gas, or the like.
The hydrogen gas is usually filled into a gas storage canister with metal hydride, so that the hydrogen gas is adsorbed and stored by the metal hydride. For using the hydrogen gas, the gas storage canister should be properly heated to release the hydrogen gas to the application device. Consequently, the fuel cell manufacturers make efforts in designing novel gas storage canisters for providing more stable and sustained hydrogen gas.
Conventionally, the gas storage material (e.g. metal hydride) is directly accommodated within a canister body of the gas storage canister. Since the gas storage material is usually in a powdery form and the gas storage material is accommodated within a single receptacle of the canister body, if the volume of the gas storage material is too large, the gas storage material fails to be uniformly and stably heated. Under this circumstance, the efficiency of releasing the gas (e.g. the hydrogen gas) from the gas storage material is deteriorated. For solving these drawbacks, the researchers are devoted to the methods of partitioning the gas storage material within the gas storage canister. Unfortunately, these methods are unsatisfied because the thermal expansion of the gas storage material may result in deformation of the partition articles. Under this circumstance, the gas storage material may be leaked to and stacked over other partition layers or a non-uniform heating problem may occur, so that the performance of the gas storage canister is impaired.
Moreover, it is inconvenient to fill the gas storage material into the gas storage canister because a special jig tool is indispensable. The process of filling the gas storage material is complicated, and needs to be performed by a professional technician. In addition, a difference of gas storage material between any two different filling processes is easily generated. Under this circumstance, the operating performance of the gas storage canister is adversely affected.